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Recently, there was a discussion on this list regarding "the Soul and when

it enters in to the human body"... I referred our "Aitareya Brahmana" in

that context. I mentioned that a Samaveda Pundit has to play "veena"

instrument in the background during the "seemantam" function. The

following is an article published in The Hindu Daily News Paper. Makes an

interesting reading.

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The power of psychic music

Playing the veena is considered the highest form of yoga. As the naadha of

the veena and kundalini prana of the player unite, they take the shape of

the finest vibratory thread and dazzle each time the fingers make contact

with the strings. E.GAAYATHRI writes.

Veena is an ancient musical instrument, it dates back to the vedic times. In

Hindu astronoomy, Thula Rasi (Libra in Western Zodiac system) contains the

star Swathi. This constellation is also described as ``Alpha Cygnus''

indicating ``Hamsa'' (swan) which is the seat of Goddess Saraswathi. Also

this constellation Swathi, presents the picture of a ``LYRE'' or ``VEENA.''

Many decades ago the scientists discovered a cosmic hiss emanating from this

constellation. This is the ``Nada'' the musical resonance that pervades the

Universe. It pervades the human body also only to be discovered by oneself

within himself. This ``Nada'' is the mother of all ragas which are

expressions of emotions. ``Nada'' in all ragas, therefore, is like gold in

all ornaments.

Playing the veena is considered the highest form of yoga for it brings about

the merging of jeevatma and paramatma, especially when the veena player

handles the veena through the sheer force and power of his ``prana'' or

``kundalini shakthi'' that arises from the Mooladhara. The ``nada'' of the

veena and the ``kundalini prana'' of the player entwine together. As the

``nada'' and ``kundalini prana'' unite, they take the shape of the finest

vibratory threat and dazzle each time the veena palyer's fingers make

contact with the strings. At this stage the artiste is a yogi of the highest

order as he handles the veena in kumbhakam'' - which is the total and

absolute retention of breath without any effort or consciousness. He

therefore attains the state of ``Samadhi'' through veena yoga.

Aithareya Brahmana States in the fifth chapter of the second part of

``Aithereyaranyaka.''

``Atha Khalviyam Deivi Veena Bhavathi Thadanukruthi Manushi Veena Bhavathi''

 

Man's body is the heavenly veena; the veena played upon by man has been

fashioned analogously to man's heavenly make-up. The spinal column of the

human being is the divine veena created by God and the instrument (wooden

veena) is the veena created by the human being.

In the backbone of the an upright chord is seen beside it extending from

down the pelvis right upto the brain sustaining this backbone. This chord,

knonw as the spinal chord, is like the trunk of the veena. Just as there are

24 divisions in the veena, there exists similar assortment of 24 vertebrae

in the spinal chord. The 24 vertebrae of the column are grouped as under by

the scientists of the west in their treatises on Anatomy; Cervical: 7

Dorsal: 12 and Lumbar: 5, thus totalling 7 joints (Cervical belonging to the

neck, Dorsal belonging to the back and Lumbar belonging to the Loins). In

the Veena we see the mansions are large and roomy as they begin from the

lower pitch. But as we proceed to the taxa-pitch, the cells shrink in size

till towards the alto-end they are rather minute. The division found near

the lion-face (foot) of the veena are larger than those near the brain.

Similarly, the vertebrae in the column are large and thick near the region

of the waist, dwindling more and more in size and thickness as they approach

the head. In vedas, the spinal chord is described as ``veenadanda.'' As

already stated, the lower end of the veena is termed as Simha-mukha or

lion-face. Even the lower end or basal stand of the vertebrae is shaped like

Veena's simha-mukha.

It is in the spinal chord that the shushumna nadi runs. This thin hollow

fibrous passage is also known as Brahmarandhra. Just as the veena is ever

associated with its strings, the brahmarandhranadi is inseparably associated

with the power of the mystic Om or Parasakthi, the Supreme Power.

The 24 vertebral joints that together constitute the spinal column are

aligned in the living organism on the model of the above 24 seed-letters of

the Gayathri. This clearly means that both the macrocosm and the microcosm

are but a condensation of the exalted splendour of the great Mother

Devi-gayathri.

Physiology tells that the cerebral cord or nadi runs inside the thin hollow

tybe embedded in the centre of the vertebral column. This cerebral cord is

gross. This is not the Brahmarandhranadi or the subtle super physical nerve.

The mystic never exists as pure ethereal power in this gross cerebral cord.

This ``sookshama'' nerve is beyond our Ken. No x-ray or any other mechanical

device can ever hope to discover this ethereal cord in the gross cerebral

tendril. Man can only perceive the movements or excitation of the body, but

never the forces which cause the movement or excitation.

If inside the gross body of ours we did not possess an ethereal non-physical

double our bodies are but dead. Therefore, inside our corporeal frames there

do exist nerves embodying psychic power such as the Sushumna or

Brahmarandhra nadi, Surya and Chandra nadis known as Ida and Pingala or the

right and left sympathetic chords, the six psychic lotuses known as

shatchakras all these enshrining deep occult currents.

In the mysteries concerning the presence of Omkara in the Sushmana nadi, one

can perceive the deep esoteric varieties that vitalise the veena held in the

hands of Shri Sharada Devi. The power of the manifest sound, issuing as

sweet music from the strings of the Veena on which we play, reside in the

gross nervous fabrics enveloping the mystic Sushumna cord. This means that

the power of psychic music which immanates the earthy music, resides in the

unseen Sushumna Veena, while the power of the earthly Veena resides in and

vitalises the peripheral nervous fibres around the Sushumna. Between these

two Veenas there rises the wall of the cerebral spinal chord of utmost

fineness which envelopes the Sushumna nadi even as a glass chimney divides

the light of a wick from its atmospheric surroundings.

The end of the veena or its lion-face is situated in a point below the

waistline. The top of the veena reaches upto the head of a man. In the

Veena, the mandra sthayi of the subdued tenor, commences at the lower end.

In the same way human sounds first rise from the bottom of the vertebral

column. Following the alignment of the spinal chord, the sound pitches

proceed from the Mandra to madhyama to tara, i.e., from lower tenor to even

tenor and then also operate in the head. Just as the 24 feet of the Veena

are partitioned into eight each for the reigns of mandara, madhyama and tara

sthayis, the vertebral joints of the spinal chord also are marked off as

eight each for the prevalence of the three pitches. The timbre of the veena

strings have for their prototype the sound of the Vedas interfused in the

undefined unmanifest anaahata or Omkara vibration. The seven swaras of the

Veena are rooted in the cardinal psychic centres of the Sushumna nadi, viz

Muladhara, Swadhishtana, Manipura, Anaahata, Visuddha, Ajnya and Sahasrara.

Even though the seven swaras have each of their particular habitat yet in

manifestation they interact with one another and reign collectively over the

whole Sushumna region as the power of the primal Omkara.

Description of saptha swaras inter-related to the seven chakras situated in

the spinal column:

The sahasra kamala where in Shadja Swara Sa stays in the very seat of Brahma

itself i.e. of the Brahmi Shakthi ``Aha'' is the swaroopa (form) of the Nada

Brahma i.e. the Sa or shadja Shakthi proceeds in a zig-zag way throughout

the whole of the spinal column upto Mooladhara Chakra (Basic Plexus) and

stays there. It is no other than the kundalini shakthi (Serpent Power) and

it represents the element earth (Prithvi). As this shakthi is omnipotent, it

can go from Sahasrana to Mooladhara, and return from Mooladhara to

Sahasrara. It is the first and foremost of all shakthis, and so retains all

other shakthis in itself. The other shakthis are not so.

The second swara is ``Rishabha'' ``ri'' which is Maheswari Shakthi. It also

starts from Sahasrara the place of Shadja, comes to Mooladhara and from

there goes back to Ajnya chakra only, which is the space between the

eyebrows and stops there.

The third swara is: Gandhara ``ga'' which is known as Kowmari Shakthi starts

from Sahasrara goes back to Mooladhara and returns and stays in the

Vishuddha chakra in the throat.

The fourth swara is the ``Madhyama'' ``ma'' which is Vaishnavi shakthi,

starts from Sahasrara goes to Mooladhara and while returning stops at

Anahatha chakra in the region of the chest.

The fifth swara is ``Panchama'' ``pa'' which is Varahi Shakthi, starts from

the same Sahasrara reaches Mooladhara and returns upto Manipura chakra and

stays there in the navel or umbilical region.

The sixth swara is ``Dhaivata'' ``Dha'' which is Indrani shakthi, leaves

Sahasrara travels upto Mooladhara, and stays in Swadhishtana chakra in the

region of the loins below the navel.

The seventh and the last swara ``Nishadha'' ``Ni'' Chamundi shakthi, also

starts like other swaras from Sahasrara, descends upto Mooladhara and

remains there itself. It has no upward motion.

The Rishabha ``Ri'' Gandhara ``Ga'' Madhyama ``Ma'' Panchama ``Pa'' Dhaivata

``Dha'' and Nishada ``Ni'' will be staying in their respective chakras for

the works of creation and maintenance upto the time of Laya (Dissolution of

disintegration) when they reunite finally with the Shadja swara, ``Sa''

i.e., Brahmi shakti in Sahasrara chakra. Thus, all these six swaras sprout

from Brahmi shakthi and finally go back to Brahmi shakthi at the time of

Laya destruction or dissolution of the whole world, and become part and

parcel of it as Parabrahma shakthi. Also from Mooladhara upto Sahasrara,

they are symbolical with the saptha lokas namely: Bhooloka, Bhuvarloka,

Suvarloka, mahaloka, Janaloka, Thapaloka and Sathyaloka, and the six swara

sakthis of Rishabha and its fellow shakthis take rise from the Shadja i.e.,

Parabramha of Sathyam (Sathyaloka) and stay in their respective lokas of

Brahmananda to attend to their work of creation in their respective lokas.